Boiler-tube cleaner or the like



. Dec. 14 1926.-

' 1,611,071 1 c. E, REED I BOILER TUBE CLEANER OR was LIKE Filed June 17. 1926 8 4 1.12 8 '19 1 I 1 v :Jhvenior:

CZarende EReed i Patented DeC. l4, 1i926. I

oLAR-E'NcE' E. REED, or WrcH'rrA, KANSAS.-

' BOILE'RFTY'UEBYLETCLEANERJ on" rim ILI'KE'.

Application filed Juli 17, 1926. Serial no; 116,556.

In the accompanying drawingforming a part ofthe specification-- I- '-'F'-gure 1 is a part side elevation, and fa part longitudinal sectional View of'the toolin place within a tube to be cleaned.

Figure 2 is" a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 isa bottom viewof the'tooh 1 Inthese dra-Wi ngs l-represents a rotatable head, having pockets or reces sesQin- Which are mounted rotary cutters 3 which lncllne upwardly and inwardly. 7 These cutters are mounted 011 pins 4 which bearin the wallsofthe pockets, said pins being inserted through openings 5-, and having heads 6 on their outer ends to bear on'the body ofthe head. These pins are held in place by sultable stop screws 7. The rotary cutters may beof a variety. offorms, and in the form shown' a frusto-conica-lcutter is provided with'teeth at 8 on its periphery a'dapted to cutthe carbon or scale indicated at 9. The

cutters are provided also with plain faced portions 10 adapted tobear on thejinner face of the-tube during the cutting action; These .86 rotary cutters assume their fi-nal cuttin'g'pm sition by centrifugal force due-to the rotarotary cutter; and it will be noticed'from' M Fig. "1 that the width of the rotary cutter is less than the distance between the opposing faces of the washers 'so that; as stated the rotary cutter may assume its cutting position 7 g by centrifugal force and its plain edge or 5 faceportion 10bea-r against the inner face of ,the ,tubefto'be' cleaned While the teeth 8 en V gage the scale9 and' cut it as the tool- 1s rotated.

V g "In rear oftheihead '1 therejisa bodyfl having 'aockets 2 in which are locatedfim Figure 3 isa transverse section on the line g p pins a so that these finishing rolls, under 'thispurpOse'the body I is provided ith ishing or' burnishing rolls These r'o lls 7 may assame'*cl;1fierent forms butgthey are fmainly-cylindrical, as shown'in Fig.1, and I they areiprovided with teeth extending'par al-lel :Wlth"tl1' axes of the roll", theseteeth being finer' than the teeth of-theniain or ad; vancecutters; 3- so as to do*finishing or pol ishi-n-g workon-the inner surface of the tube"v to remove any remnants of scale "which may be-left aftert'he main cutting actio'n o f the f cutters 3 has been performed. Thesefinishi-ng' rolls are? mounted on pins having heads 6 at. their-lower ends seated the body member, and-the bore of the rolls 3 xi'sfr'if larger diameter than the diameter of the the action ofcentrifugalforce due to thro; tation of the "body '1, will set themselves out againstthe inner surfa'ceof the tube and per:-

tormtheir actions thereon. r

- Thi-sbody 1 is torber'otated through any suitable means'usuall-y employed forthe operatlon of tube cleaners, such as a flexible shaft driven by any suitable motor, and for an extension 1? to'which thed'riving shaft may be attached. The body l 'impar'ts' its rotary movement to the head through a coupling designed to. permit a certain degree of independent action betweenfthese members and for this purpose the rotatable head 1 is provided with a'n'eckj13 having a, flange 14 at its end, and radial-1y extending ribs1 5-aon said neck" extending from the flange to the mai-n'porti'on' of the head. 0

shown in Fig. 3; there" may be, say threefof these ribs equally spaced apart and coopera ti'ngwith said" rlbs is a sectional blo'ck' o'r coupling member" made up of the two sje'c trons 16,16 which areyexternally screw threaded to engage screw threads at 17 0111 the interie er a c lindrical extension" 18' of the body 1*. The sectional block 16 isformed" with recesses toireceive the ribs "15; therecesses being 'sligh'tly larger th-an the ribs so 166;

as topermit-a; certain; amount of, play be tween the. ribs the block. Thebl'ock' isf held in 'jositiorr by a set screw 1 9; j'A spring 20 bears at one end upon the'rear faceofthe I.

head '1 and at its other end'upon the sec-" /5 7 tionalhlock1*6. Thi's'combina-ti'onof parts provides a coupiingbejtween the finishingl body l and the main cutter head f-whichwil limpart to-the latter therot'ary move- H ment of" the body 1f?and yetperinitantomat 1 9 so I ic adjustment of the two members 1, 1' relative toeach other and tothe portions of the tube upon which the respective cutters 3 and 3 act The coupling is in the nature of a flexible one due to the construction just described. Suitable washers 21 are interposed between the ends of the finishing cutters and The tool is provided with a central bore for a flushing medium, which may be air, for

removing the cuttings. v I I V i It will be noticed that the terminal cutters 8 acton the end edge of the layer of scale, and not only cut, and grind it away, but .because the directionof the pressure from the cutters is applied longitudinally of the layer said layer is'broken off. This action is dif ferent from that which would take place if the pressure of the cutter was exerted against the inner face of the layer ofscale because in the latter event the scale would be backed up or supported by the wall of the tube and the strippingolf action such as takes place with the present toolwould not be accomplished. Having thus I claim is: I

1. Ina boiler tube cleaner, the combinadescribed my invention, What 'tion of a head, having pockets in its end pockets in its lower end, and terminal rotary toothed cutters in said pockets inclining rearwardly andinwardly relative to the axis of the too-land its endface, and journal pins extending across said pockets and bearing in the wall thereof, said toothed cutters having .movement outwardly along said pins under centrifugalforce due to the rotation of the head, said cutters-maintaining the same angular relation to the axis of the tool 7 under all conditions of use, substantially as described; 7 e

3.1n a boiler tube cleaner, a rotatable head, terminal rotary toothed cutters mounted in said head loosely to'have outward movement from thexaxial center under centrifugal force, said rotary cutters each hav ing a plain lateral bearing portion; at substantially a right angle to the cutting face,

' to c'ontactvwith the inner surface of the tube.

1 4-. Incombination in a boiler tube cleaner, aerotatable head having terminal rotary toothed cutters mounted therein, said outters having their cutting faces disposed to cut in a plane substantially atrightangles 'to' the axis of the head, a finishing section composed of a body having finishing rollers mounted therein to contact with the tube after being cleaned by the rotary cutters, V

and having their finishing faces substantially parallel with the axis of'the head, a

flexible driving connection between the rotatable head and the said body, and a con nection for rotating said body, substantially as described. v

5. In combination in a boiler tube cleaner, a rotatable head; having terminal rotary toothed cutters mounted therein, said cuttel-shaving their cutting facesydisposed to cut ina plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the head, a body having a driving connection with the head to permit relative movement between them in a general direction transverse to the axis ofthe tool, finishing rollers mounted in said body looseto move outwardly under centrifugal force, and having their finishing faces substantially' parallel with the axis of the head,

and a connection by which said body is rotated, substantially as described.

62in combination in a boiler tube cleaning tool, a head having terminal rotary cutters inclining backwardly from the end face of the head, and inwardly in relation to the axis of the tool, each cutter havingits cutting face extending in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the tool to act -on the end edge of the layer of scale and in the direction of the length of said layer, each cutter being loosely'mounted to set itself outwardly in respect to'said axis by centrifugal force, and means for rotating the tool, substantially asdescribed.

7. In combination in a boiler; tube cleaning tool, a head having terminal rotary cutters inclining backwardly from the end face of the head, and inwardly in relation to the axis of the tool, each cutter having its cutting face extending in plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the tool to act on the end edge of the layer of scale, each cutter being loosely mounted to set itself outwardly in respect tosaid axis by centrifugal force, finishing rollers in rear of the rotary cutters, having the r working centrifugal force out against the said wall Ill) . surfaces'parallel with the wall of the tube: and loosely mount-ed to set themselves by while maintaining their axial parallelism 1 with the axis of saidtube, and means for rotating the tool, substantially, as described 8. In combination in a boiler tube cleaning tool, a. head'having terminal rotary cutters inclining backwardlyfrom the end face of the tool and inwardly in relation to the axis of the tool, each cutter having itspcut ting face extending in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the tool to'act on theend edge of the layerof scale, each cutter being loosely mounted to set itself outwardly in respect to said axis by centrifugal force, and having a lateral contact portion to engage the Wall of the tube, "and means for rotating the said head, substantially as described. r

9. In combination in a boiler tube cleaning tool, a head having terminal rotary disc cutters on pins inclining backwardly from the end face of the tool, and outwardly in relation to the longitudinal axis of the tool,

said cutters being slidable on said pins to set themselves outwardly along said pins by centrifugal force, and means for rotating the head, said cutters having. peripheral teeth to act on the end edge of the layer of f scale, substantially as described.v

10. In combination in a boiler tube cleaning tool, a head having terminal rotary disc cutters on pins inclining'backwardly from the end face of the tool, and outwardly in relation to thelongitudinal axis of the tool and slidable on said pins to; set themselves outwardly along said pins by centrifugal force, and means for rotatingthe head, said cutters having peripheral teeth, toact on I the end edge of the layer of scale, and finishing rolls inlrear of the said cutters, said rolls being of cylindrical form with their axes parallel with the axis'of the' tool, and

being mounted to set themselves out against r the tube by centrifugal force, and means for rotating the tool, substantially as described. 11. In combination in a tool for cleaning i. tubes, a head with means for rotating the same about the axis of the, tube, and terminal rotary cutters in said head mountedon pins inclining backwardly from the end face" of said, head and outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of the tool, said cutters.

I being shiftableon said pins to set themselves radially outward by centrifugal force, said cutters having their cutting surfaces in a.

-plane extending transversely to the axislof the tool,'toact on the end edge of the layer of scale, substantially as described. -r

' 1.2. In combination in boiler tube cleaner, a' rotatable head, toothed cutters mounted therein, a'body carrying finishing rollers in rear of the head and having means by which it may, be rotated, and a loose driving connection between said body and head permitting relative movement of said a body connected tov said head, and having rollers with finer teeth than thecutting rolltube, a driving connection between the head and body, said body'having means by which in a zone of substantially the same diameter as that in which'the cutters first mentioned 7 a l v '7 14. In combination in a boilertube cleaner operate.

a head, having upwardly and inwardly inclined cutters, on axes inclining upwardlyandoutwardly, said cuttersbeing of conical form with the smaller diameter portion adj acent the axis of the apparatus, said cutters having teeth; disposed in a plane substan-- tially at 'right anglesto the axis of the ap'-.

paratus and said cutters having radial play under centrifugal force to set themselves out against the tube being cleaned, substan-' tially as described.

ture. j

. ers to bear on and finish the inner. side of the it isrotated, said finishing rollers operating In testimony whereof, I'aflix my "sigma cLA ENcE, E; REED, 

